My Wet Cleaning Product Testing Methods

Disclaimer!: This is the way I tested the wet cleaning products. This is not a "how to" article of how to use these products. For information on how to use these products read the instructions that came with the products, or contact the manufacturer. I can not be held liable for what you do with the information supplied on this page. Use the information provided here at your own risk!

Introduction

After quite a few e-mails about my wet cleaning reviews. I have decided to demonstrate the methods I used to test these products. Below is a step by step of my testing process for the wet cleaning products I have reviewed:

VisibleDust Focusing Screen Swab

Equipment used:

Nikon F3 Focusing screen, and mirror.

Nikon D2H focusing screen and mirror.

Nikon D200 focusing screen and mirror.

VisibleDust Focusing Screen Swab.

VisibleDust Sensor Clean liquid.

I always start the tests by doing it the way the manufacturer recommends to do it. After that I actually try to make marks in the focusing screen.

As you can see in this picture I'm using way more force than you should attempt to use. This is to make sure of the quality of the product, and to see if there is any way the swab could make marks in my focusing screens. With my tests with the VD Focusing Swabs, I could not make any visible marks on the focusing screen or any marks to the mirror.
After each time I cleaned the focusing screen and mirror I left the screen in a dusty place and the mirror was left uncovered in the same spot, to collect dust also. I repeated the process for 3 days, each time leaving the screen and mirror to collect dust, so I could clean it again afterwards. After the initial tests where done, I cleaned all my cameras, with no marks on either mirrors or focusing screens whatsoever.

Sensor Cleaning Swabs

Equipment used:

Fuji S2 sensor

Nikon D2H

Nikon D200

My main test sensor, a Fuji S2 sensor. The reason I use this disassembled sensor is that it's easier to observe the performance and result of my tests. After the abuse of the S2 sensor I then clean one of my Dslr's to see the performance on a picture.

I use similar methods on my sensor testing swabs as I used on the Focus swabs. I always start the tests the way the manufacturers instructs you to use the products. I then use excessive force and irregular cleaning directions, and I use the corner of the swabs, basically I try my best to make visible marks. I also did the 3 day procedure as I used on the focus swabs. In my test I have not made any marks on any equipment I have used, regardless of how much I tried.